Chaos Theory

Everyone piled onto the bus like dead fish - tired, half-awake, and not even bothering to complain anymore.
The bus groaned under the weight of their exhaustion as they slumped into the seats.

After a few minutes, a senior wearing sunglasses and holding a clipboard climbed up into the bus, tapping the board loudly.

Senior (boredly):
"Alright, headcount."

They called out names lazily while checking them off.

Once they finished, the senior raised an eyebrow, amused.

Senior:
"So...23 of you?"

The bus was silent. Some students nodded weakly.

Dunk, sitting near the window, raised an eyebrow.
He turned his face slightly away and started calculating quietly in his mind.

Dunk (thinking):
"If there are only 23 first-years...
then maybe about the same in second-years...
and third-years too..."

He tapped his finger lightly against the window.

Dunk (thinking):
"20 x 3... around 60 students.
Only 60 students living in that giant glass building?"

He looked outside at the shiny, high-tech campus again.
Parks, fountains, security...
All for 60 people?

He blinked slowly, feeling a weird sense of unease grow inside him.

Dunk (thinking sarcastically):
"Guess the 'elite' really do live differently."

The bus hadn't even properly picked up speed when it jerked and took a sharp right turn.

Dunk frowned, glancing outside.

The tall dorm building was still clearly visible, barely behind them.

And right ahead - standing proudly - was the university campus.
Big, grand, shiny... but way too close.

Dunk (thinking, deadpan):
"Seriously? Just one turn away?
We could've thrown a rock and hit it."

The bus stopped with a soft hiss.
The seniors stood up, acting like they had travelled across the whole city.

Senior (clapping hands):
"Everyone out!"

Love leaned toward Dunk, whispering loudly.

Love (grinning):
"Bro... we could've walked."

Dunk gave her a side-eye, expressionless.

Dunk (thinking dryly):
"Knowing them, they would've made us crawl instead."

He got down, feeling a weird sense of amusement mixed with suspicion.
Such a huge, shiny university, right under their noses - and yet somehow it felt like a trap.

They got off the bus and walked towards the university grounds.
The campus was massive - clean-cut green lawns stretching endlessly, huge trees lining the paths, and a cool breeze weaving through it all.

Dunk's sharp eyes scanned everything carefully, always analyzing without showing it.

As they crossed the ground, his gaze accidentally met Joong's - standing with the third-year seniors, arms crossed casually.

The eye contact lasted only a second before Dunk felt a hard shake at his shoulder.

It was Love, clinging to his arm excitedly.

Love (shining eyes):
"Waaah! Look, Dunk! Isn't it beautiful? It's like a movie scene!"

Dunk frowned slightly but let her be, his attention already back on scanning their surroundings.

Just then, a senior jogged up to them - wearing a whistle and a bright sun cap, looking way too energetic for 7:40 in the morning.

Senior (cheerfully shouting):
"Good morning, freshmen! First, we'll do some stretches.
Then - we'll go for a light morning run around the campus before other clubs activities start!"

Dunk just blinked slowly, dead inside.

But in his mind -
Dunk (thinking, coldly):
"Run...? Excuse me?"

Still trying to process that horror, Dunk raised his hand halfway, speaking up without even realizing it.

Dunk (flatly):
"Wait... why is our club starting earlier than other clubs?"

The senior grinned widely, showing all his teeth - almost creepily.

Senior (laughing):
"Because we're the Elite Club, genius! Early bird catches the worm, right?
And you'll thank us for this discipline someday!"

Dunk stared at him expressionless, internally screaming.
Love looked at Dunk in sympathy like he was about to be sent to war.

Dunk (thinking, deadpan):
"Early bird catches worms because it's desperate. I'm not desperate. I'm trapped."

He sighed deeply and started stretching half-heartedly, wondering if he could fake an injury somehow.

Dunk started stretching lazily, still plotting his "injury plan" in his head.
He bent forward to touch his toes and felt his back crack loudly.

Dunk (thinking):
"Perfect. I'll pretend to trip, hold my leg, and sit out the run. No one will question it."

As he straightened up, ready to "accidentally" fall...
someone else - a guy from the Business major - suddenly collapsed dramatically on the ground before him, grabbing his ankle.

Guy (whining loudly):
"Aaah! My ankle! I think I twisted it!"

Everyone turned to look.

And before Dunk could even blink, Joong appeared out of nowhere like a storm.

Joong (voice cold):
"Hurt already? Then do three extra laps - at half-running speed. Move."

The guy's face fell in horror.

The seniors chuckled mercilessly.

Dunk, frozen mid-stretch, slowly straightened his back again like a mechanical doll.

Dunk (thinking, blank-faced):
"Abort mission. Repeat: abort mission."

There was no way he was going to fake an injury now. Not when Joong looked ready to throw someone across the field.

Dunk sighed heavily, shoulders drooping.

And to make it worse -
after just a few meters into the actual run, his lungs started screaming.

Dunk (panting internally after two minutes):
"This is it. I see the light. Goodbye, cruel world."

Every breath felt like inhaling knives.
His smoker's lungs simply weren't built for this.

But still, pride kept him jogging, even if it was more like stumbling than running.

Meanwhile, Love was ahead, jogging like it was nothing, shouting encouragements back at him.

Love (cheerfully):
"Come on, Dunk! You can do it!"

Dunk (gasping in his soul):
"No, I can't. I'm dying. Tell my brother I love him."

He somehow forced his body forward, eyes blank, mind numb - looking less like a runner and more like a zombie dragged by sheer spite.

Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts-please leave a comment below. Stay healthy and take care!

<3